vendredi 25 septembre 2009

Israeli scientists develop protein to regrow blood vessels

Israeli researchers have developed a protein-based injection that can spark the regrowth of tiny blood vessels, offering hope of an alternative treatment to the hundreds of thousands of people undergoing open-heart surgery every year.In heart disease, blood vessels are either clogged or die off, starving the heart of oxygen and leaving it highly vulnerable to a cardiac attack. Open-heart surgery, though it carries many risks, is now a frequent treatment for heart disease. At present, in the US alone, some 700,000 people undergo open-heart surgery annually according to the American Heart Association.

In their groundbreaking research, Dr. Britta Hardy and her partner Prof. Alexander Battler of Tel Aviv University developed a protein that can be injected straight into the muscles of the body, triggering the regrowth of tiny blood vessels in just a few weeks. "The biotechnology behind our human-based protein therapy is very complicated, but the goal is simple and the solution is straightforward," says Hardy. "We intend to inject our drug locally to heal any oxygen-starved tissue."Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: ISRAEL21c) Anti Boycott Israel blog: chirurgie cardiaque, diabète